• Rader, O.; Hlawenka, P.; Siemensmeyer, K.; Weschke, E.; Varykhalov, A.; Sanchez-Barriga, J.; Shitsevalova, N.Y.; Filipov, V.B.; Gabáni, S.; Flachbart, K.; Rienks, E.D.L.: The Rashba Splitting in SmB6. Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics 135 (2022), p. 596-603

10.1134/s1063776122100090
Open Access Version

Abstract:
The present article highlights two aspects at the intersection between Rashba physics and topological matter. Topologically nontrivial matter has been in the focus for almost two decades. It depends strongly on spin–orbit coupling but, in contrast to large parts of modern solid state physics, strong electron correlation does not play a major role. In this context, SmB6 has been suggested as the first topological insulator driven by strong electron correlation and the first topological Kondo insulator. We review the important role of the Rashba splitting in determining that the observed surface states are not topological. Moreover, we point out that the Rashba splitting of SmB6 represents the extreme case of a large splitting in momentum space at a small Rashba parameter.